Burglar alarm



July 14,1925. I 1,545,941

' W. W. DAVIES BURGLAR ALARM Filed April 1. 1925 ZSfieets-Sheet 1 Jilly14, 1925. 1,545,947

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Jul '14, 1925.

WILLIAM WATKINS DAVIES, OF LOUISVILLE, 'KENTUCKY.

BURGLAR ALARM.

Application filed April 13, 1925.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM WATKINS Dawns, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Louisville, in the countyof J eiferson andState of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBurglar Alarms, of which the following is a specification.

This lnvention relates to an improvement in burglar alarms especiallyadapted for use authorized persons into the room or suite of thetraveller.

A still further object resides in the provision of a device of thischaracter which is adapted to be manufactured at a comparatively slightexpense from any materials and.

by means of facilities ordinarily available.

Other objects and advantages reside in certain novel features of theconstruction, arrangement and combination of parts, which will behereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in. theappended claims, reference being-had to the accompanying drawingsforming a part of this specification, and in which, 7

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the inventionoperatively associated with a door.

Figure 2 is a view showing the device in topplan and the door andadjacent structure of the building in horizontal section.

Figure 3 is a view in side elevation looking toward the side of thedevice opposite from the alarm thereof.

Figure 4 is a View of the device in top plan showing the partspositioned as when the alarm is sounded.

Figure 5 is a plan view of another embodiment of the inventionshowingthe parts positioned as when set.

Figure 6 is a View similar to Figure 5 but showing the parts positionedwhen the alarm is sounding.

Figure 7 is a plan view of another form of the-invention showing theparts set.

Serial No. 22,862.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 but illustrating the parts of thedevice shown in Figure 7 as positioned when the alarm is sounding.

Figure 9 is a top plan view of still another'form of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, and more par ticularly to Figures 1 to 4inclusive, it will be seen that the invention comprises a pair of springarms designated as 1 and 2, the arms 1 and 2 being constructed from asingle strip of resilient metal or other springy material and beingconnected by a bowed connecting portion 3 at one end. The arms are flatand may be pressed so that their adjacent faces snugly engage each otheras shown in Figures 1 and 2but these arms and the connecting portion 8between them are tensioned so that the resiliency of the material makingup the parts tends to maintain them in the position shown in full linesin Figure 4, in which position the arms diverge.

On one of the arms 2 a common and conventional alarm (consisting of abell, rattle,

buzzer or clacker) 4 is mounted, the base-or 1 frame of the alarm beingfixedly connected by suitable attaching devices to the arm 2. The alarm4 may be of any conventional construction or material and preferably isof the type including a spring-actuated sounder, like a clapper orvibratory clacking or buzzing armature, the spring of which, being woundup by the winding key 5, actuates the sounder to ring, rattle, clack orbuzz. The winding shaft of the alarm, which is actuated from the key 5,is designated at 6, and on the end of the shaft 6 opposite the key 5alug 7 is fixed. The lug 7 is flat and elongated and is adapted to fit ina correspondingly shaped portion 8 formed on the arm 1 when the arms 1and 2 :are pressed together. The lug 7 coactswith the walls of theopening 8 toprevent the shaft 6 from turning and the alarm from soundingwhen the arms 1 and 2 are pressed together.

When the device is in use the arms 1 and 2 are pressed into engagementwith each other, the alarm being wound up by the key 5. As long as thelug 7 is located in the opening 8 the alarm cannot sound, since theshaft 6 10f the alarm isheld against movement. With the alarm 4 wound upand the arms 1 and 2 4 held together the free ends of the arms areintroduced and wedged, into the crack between the door I) and jamb J. Ofcourse, if the device is used in connection with a window the free endsof the arms are held between the window sash and the window frame. Aslong as the door remains undisturbed the alarm will not sound, but whenan intruder opens the door the free ends of the arms 1 and 2 aredislodged from between the door and jamb. Then the arms 1 and 2 flyapart, due to their inherent resiliency and to the inherent resiliencyof the connecting portion'3, and the entire device falls to the floor.When the arms 1 and 2 fly apart the lug 7 is released so that thespringof the alarm actuates the same and results in'a continuoussounding of the alarm. This sounding of the alarm together with theclatter and noise that accompanies the falling of the alarm to thefloor, will arouse the occupant of the room guarded and the occupants ofthesurrounding rooms and will be found to be a very effective meanstoscare off the burglar or other intruder.

The form of the invention shown in Figures 5 and 6 is exactly the sameas the invention shown in Figures 1 to 4 hereinabove de scribed exceptthat one of the spring arms which is designated at 10 is formed with anoffset alarm-holding portion or frame 11 on which the alarm 4L ismounted and in which the alarm 4 is practically enclosed. The provisionof the alarm-holding frame has the advantage of providing against thepossible mufl'ling of the alarm when the device falls on a carpet orfloor.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 7 and 8 includes a pairof spring arms designated at 15 and 16 connected by a combinedconnecting element and alarmholding frame on which the alarm 41: ismounted and in which the alarm 4 is substantially enclosed. In this formof the invention in lieu of providing an opening in one of the arms tocoact with the lug 7 of the shaft 6 of the alarm the arms are providedwith coacting clamping portions 15 and 16 at the junctures of the arms,with the combined connection portion and alarmholding frame.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figure 9 there is included apair of sprin arms designated at 20 and 21, and one end of the arms 20and 21 is connected by the curved connecting portion 22. The arm 20 hasan offset alarm-holding frame 23 formed therein in which are delicatelysuspended common sleigh bells or conventional rattlers or vibratingjinglers.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 9 the arms 20 and 21 aretensioned to fly apart as in the other embodiments of the invention andthis tendency is utilized to hold the alarm in place in the spacebetween the door and jamb or in between the window and its frame andalso to actuate the alarm.

What I claim is: I

1. In a burglar alarm, a pair of connected spring arms tensioned todiverge with respect to each other from the point of their connection,the arms having ends adapted to be engaged and held together by aclosure, the tendency of the arms to diverge aiding the frictionalengagement between the ends of the arms and the closure to the end ofsupporting the alarm on the closure and of holding the alarm in setposition solely by virtue of the engagement of the ends of the arms withthe closure, and a. sounding device mounted on one of the arms andadapted tobe actuated when the arms fly apart upon release of the endsof the arms from the closure.

2. In a burglar alarm, a pair of connected spring arms tensioned todiverge with respect to each other from the point of their connection,the arms having ends adapted to be held together by a closure, thetendency of the arms to diverge aiding the frictional engagement betweenthe ends of the arms and the closure to the end of holding-the alarm inposition, and a sounding device mounted on one of the arms and having apart controlling the actuation of the sounding device, the other armbeing cooperable with said part to hold the part against movement whenthe arms are pressed, the other arm being disengaged from said part whenthe arms diverge. I

3. A burglar alarm comprising a pair of arms having a curved connectingportion for connecting the arms at one end, the arms and the connectingportion being constructed of a single piece of flat spring material, thearms and connecting portion being tensioned so that the arms normallydiverge, the arms being adapted to be pressed into snug engagement witheach other against the tension of the material making up the arms andthe curved connecting portion, the ends of the arms opposite the curvedconnecting portion being adapted to be engaged by a closure and itssupport to releasably hold the arms together and to support the entirealarm on the closure and its support while the closure remains closedsolely by virtue of the engagement of the ends of'the arms with theclosure and its support, and a sounding device mounted on one of thearms and adapted to be actuated when the arms fall apart upon therelease of their ends from the closure.

1. In a burglar alarm, a pair of spaced arms, means tending to maintainthe arms in divergent relation, the arms being adapted to be positionedin engagement with each other and having portions engageable with aclosure and the structure on which the closure is mounted to hold thearms engaged with each other, and to support the entire alarm on theclosure and its associated structure while the closure remains closedand a sounding device connected with the arms and adapted to be actuatedwhen the arms fly apart upon re-' one of the arms and having a partcon-' trolling its actuation and engaged with the other arm when thearms are pressed together, said part being disengaged fromthe other armwhen the arms are spread apart.

6. In a burglar alarm, a pair of connected spring arms tensioned tonormally diverge from each other but adapted to be pressed together andhaving portions engageable with a closure and the structure with whichthe closure co-acts to hold the armspressed together as long as theclosure remains closed, one of the arms having an alarmholding andenclosing frame and an alarm mounted on said frame.

7. In a burglar alarm, a pair of connected spring arms tensioned tonormally diverge from each other but adapted to be pressed together andhaving portions engageable with a closure and the structure with whichthe closure co-acts to hold the arms pressed together as long as theclosure remains closed, one of the arms having an alarmholding andenclosing frame and an alarm mounted on said frame, and having a partcontrolling its actuation and held, when the arms are pressed together,to prevent actuation of the alarm.

8. A burglar alarm comprising a pair of spring arms and having a curvedconnecting portion between the arms at one end thereof, an alarm mountedon one of the arms and having a lug controlling its actuation,

the other arm having an opening in which the lug is fitted and held toprevent actuation of the alarm when the arms are pressed together, thefree ends of the arms being adapted to be held in the space between theclosure and its supporting structure as long as the closure is closed.

9. A device of the character described constructed of a single piece offiat resilient material bent to provide a pair of spring arms and aconnecting portion between the arms at one end, the arms normallydivergent, the free ends of the arms being adapted to be held togetherby a closure to hold the arms together, and to support the entire deviceon closure while the closure remains closed and an alarm actuated whenthe arms are apart.

WILLIAM WATKINS DAVIES.

